DOE funds conversion of Utica Shale gas well to enhanced geothermal system

The US Department of Energy’s Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office selected the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to lead the project, which will convert a horizontal Utica Shale gas well into an enhanced geothermal system. The effort will also test various techniques to create the fractures necessary for a human-made geothermal reservoir.

Located in the Appalachian Basin, the project is the first enhanced geothermal systems demonstration site in the eastern United States. If successful, it is expected to offer a replicable model for expanding geothermal energy in regions without naturally occurring permeability or fluid resources.

The project will build directly on horizontal drilling and completion practices developed in the Utica Shale, evaluating optimal well orientation, lateral placement and spacing as part of a $14 million enhanced geothermal systems demonstration in Pennsylvania.